STREET TALK: A typist under cover

His office is not an ordinary one. There is no desk, computer or air conditioning - essential equipment for a contemporary office. But it has a fine location, right at the centre of Sofia - the corner of Levski Boulevard and Graf Ignatiev Str., more famously known as Popa. He doesn't even have a chair because all he needs in his environmentally-friendly "office" on the street is a typewriter. His name

In safe hands

The autographs of Dolph Lundgren and Vinnie Jones live together with certificates for professional qualifications in his office. The room is small because all the kinesitherapist Georgi Ilchev needs to do his job is a good massage table and his “healing” hands. He is only 28 years old, but has already finished his bachelor degree in physiotherapy and started a course for a doctor’s degree. Georgi’s work schedule is also

STREET TALK: Reading in the street

Lidia Toneva, a street book-seller, is awaiting May 24, a Bulgarian holiday celebrating Cyrillic writing and culture, with mixed feelings. According to her, this is one of the brightest holidays. But, on the other hand, she thinks Bulgarians have lost their ability to respect and to celebrate most of the national holidays. "Financial poverty, which is widely spread, has lead to spiritual poverty," explained Lidia. Sixty-year-

Conducting a life of music

Boryana Dzhambazova interviews Angel Ticheliev, conductor of the famous Bulgarian Roma brass orchestra Karandila.

After seven albums and many concerts (and an increasing number of fans) not only in Bulgaria, but all around Europe, to put it mildly the band can be defined as "successful". They have also participated in musical projects with big names such as producer and composer Goran Bregovich and jazz musician and pianist Milcho Leviev. I caught Angel Ticheliev in his hometown Sliven (a town in southeast Bulgaria) just

STREET TALK: Music - the best medicine in Doctors' Garden

"Music is what still keeps me alive," said 68-year-old Vasil Petkov. During the spring, Doctors' Garden is the venue where you can steal five minutes from your busy schedule and listen to him playing the accordion. This is his favourite place in the city and he enjoys coming here to play some well-known melodies and to remember the good old times with a bit of nostalgia. Moreover, music is not just a hobby for Petkov. He has

STREET TALK: Tram number 1

I met Dimitrina Benkovska at the Triangle - a place not so familiar to the citizens of Sofia, but a well-known venue for tram drivers. It's 2.20pm and here, at Banishora depot, it's all go - the drivers are walking to and fro, changing shifts, checking schedules for tomorrow, while the trams are passing by all the time. Dimitrina, or Mimi, as her friends call her, had just finished work and she was ready to comfort herself with the

READING ROOM: Opening the lid on Bulgaria's cultural treasure trove

POLINA SLAVCHEVA and BORYANA DZHAMBAZOVA look at the practice of 'treasure hunting' - the illegal appropriation of artefacts of cultural and historical significance for sale on the black market, and the legal status of private collections in Bulgaria. The directors of The National Museum of History and The Red House Centre for Culture and Debate, speak out on issues of funding for the cultural sphere in Bulgaria.

READING ROOM: Legalising culture

Bulgaria's Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev recently announced the start of a campaign which aims to check all private collections of artefacts of cultural-historical value. The owners of private collections will have to prove the origin of the items and when and how they bought them, by providing all necessary documents. The Prosecutor-General's action has focused public attention once more on the

READING ROOM: NGOs and the state: a cultural debate

An interview with Tzvetelina Iossifova, one of the founders and directors of the Red House Centre for Culture and Debate

How did you decide to start a private, non-government cultural initiative in Bulgaria? The idea itself came in the mid-90s when we decided to found a venue where the audience could see performances they couldn't find in the official cultural programmes. It all started almost like a youthful dream. Of course, the idea changed and developed until it became what is now: the Red House - a centre for culture and debate.

Embroidering their living

Alexander Nevski Cathedral is one of the stops included on every sightseeing tour of Sofia. Once you have sated your curiosity as a tourist within the biggest cathedral on the Balkans, it is likely that the nearby outdoor market will attract your attention. The market is on the northern side of the church. When the weather is fine, there are usually about 20 stands. Although the market is small, it looks like a typical

STREET TALK: Sound mind in a sound body

APART from everything else, holidays mean a lot of eating. A month after Christmas' and New Year's well-laden tables with all kinds of food temptations, most people are trying to get rid of the holiday weight by working out more at the gym. Your best partner in the battle against the extra kilograms is the fitness instructor.

EXPAT OF THE WEEK: What's in a name?

Lyan Shuai, from: China

"I LOVE Bulgaria and Bulgarian people," said Angel. A kind of strange beginning for an expat article, isn't it, considering Angel is a Bulgarian name and the boy in the picture is Chinese? In fact, his real name is Lyan Shuai, but he has taken on the Bulgarian name since he's been here. He has been in Bulgaria only four months so far, but he's not afraid of declaring his fondness for the country.

Father Christmas's grandson

AT this time of the year, you can meet Father Christmas on literally every corner in many of the big cities around the world. But this tradition is not so popular in Bulgaria. I found one of the few Bulgarian versions of Father Christmas - if not the only one - who are spreading the Christmas joy this year, in Halite - a famous shopping destination for the citizens of Sofia in the city centre.

READING ROOM: Bulgaria in the eyes of the world

Land of mafia, real estate investment hotspot, tourist destination - these are some of the images of Bulgaria presented in the foreign media. As it progresses along the path to the EU, Bulgaria is increasingly finding itself in the spotlight, for better or worse. PETAR KOSTADINOV, DANNY DRESSER AND BORYANA DZHAMBAZOVA examine how Bulgaria is faring in media coverage by its Balkan neighbours and further afield.

STREET TALK: Bulgaria needs his songs

YOU'RE most likely to "bump into" the sound of his bagpipes and copper-glazed bells (chanove) or to see the constant hip-hopping white kerchief in the park just opposite Sofia University, or in the one near the National Palace of Culture. He has many names: the man with the bagpipes, the man with the chanove, Peter Bonev. To his fans he's just Peter. But who is Peter Bonev? The answer is simple: "I'm a man whose music can summon together a croupier and a colonel from the Bulgarian army."`

EXPAT OF THE WEEK: Love, Actually

David Raman, from: India

DAVID Raman rushed into his office. He seemed a little bit worried - something had kept him a bit longer than he expected out of the office and there was a call from his colleagues he couldn't answer. As a manager of the support team in the Bulgarian department of an American internet services company he is really concerned about his job and co-workers.

EXPAT OF THE WEEK: Between East and West

SOME expats come to Bulgaria for love. Some come for money. Some, like Syrian native Yousef Hamoto, come because they want to escape. They want to start a life that's better than the one they've left behind. "I was dying in Syria," he said. "I couldn't stand it anymore. Bulgaria was my destination number one." Nine months ago, Hamato came to Sofia with the support of his brother, who has been living here for 25 years.